A cross-section of articles we've read this week about HIV/AIDS, STIs and a wide cross-section of structural and systemic factors impacting HIV/AIDS in Black communities.

Prevention

5 Ways Black Churches are Engaging in HIV Prevention 

The CDC notes that African Americans have the most severe burden of HIV of all racial/ethnic groups in the United States. Despite accounting for less than 15% of the U.S. population, African Americans account for nearly half of all new HIV infections. Because many people turn to churches for guidance and spiritual support, could Black churches also serve as key venues for HIV prevention for African Americans? Maybe... Findings from the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life indicate that 85% of U.S. Blacks report religion as being very important to them and more than half of Blacks report attending religious services at least once a week.

Treatment

Common Herpes Drug Reduces HIV Levels 

The results of a new trial show that a common herpes medication can reduce levels of HIV independent of herpes infection.

Miscellaneous

Black People Are Not More Homophobic Than Everyone Else 

I understand black homophobia on a deeply personal level. In seventh grade, I was called a faggot by someone named Chris on the school bus. I try to never let people see me sweat, but Chris took it one step further: he said my mama was probably gay, too. You can't talk about my mama; Chris ended up with a black eye by the time we were dropped off to school. The last time I was called a faggot was a year ago, in Harlem; three dudes were driving by and proceeded to hurl that insult and french fries. I wanted to throw a bottle at the car, but I was outnumbered and keenly aware of the multiple deaths members of the LGBT community suffered the year beforehand.

Black Students Showing Highest High School Graduation Rate Ever, Closing Gap With White Students 

The high school graduation rate for Black students jumped nearly 4 percent between 2011 and 2013, narrowing the gap between Black students and white students and helping contribute to the highest high school graduation rate for American students and for Black students in the country's history.

Cases of Ocular Syphilis on the Rise

The Los Angeles Times and the AIDS Healthcare Foundation recently have reported an upsurge in cases of ocular syphilis, particularly in gay men. More than a dozen cases have been reported on the West Coast, in places like Seattle, San Francisco and Los Angeles.

Employer, Fired HIV-Positive Worker to Settle EEOC Bias Case

A packaging company has agreed to pay $125,000 to settle Equal Employment Opportunity Commission charges that it violated the Americans with Disabilities Act by firing a worker because he was HIV-positive.

Jon Stewart on Widespread Efforts to Limit Gay and Trans Rights in the United States 

Whether it's refusing to sell boutonnières for same-sex weddings or refusing to let transgender people use public bathrooms, an anti-LGBT backlash is underway in several U.S. states.

Living With HIV: My Untold Story 

"You are HIV-positive" ... these are words that no one ever wants to hear. But each year 50,000 new HIV infections are reported in the U.S. Over 1.2 million people in the U.S. are living with HIV2 and, by the end of 2015, half of those living with HIV will be over the age of 50.

Medicaid Expansion in Red States 

A number of states that had previously refused to expand their Medicaid programs for the poor are reconsidering that policy. They would be smart to embrace expansion as soon as possible to cover millions of people who would be left uninsured if the Supreme Court wipes out federal subsidies for low-income people buying insurance on the federal health exchanges.

Obamacare Triggers Massive Drop in Americans Without Health Insurance 

• More than 16 million people gained insurance through Affordable Care Act
• Data likely to strengthen efforts to prevent bill being rolled back

When Visibility is not Enough 

The transgender movement is more visible now than it has ever been. From the State of the Union address to the Golden Globes to an upcoming series where Laverne Cox will play an attorney, the transgender narrative is becoming a greater part of prime time television and public consciousness.